Pakistan's KSE100 is the World's Best Performing Stock Index

Pakistan's KSE100 (Karachi Stock Exchange 100) index closed the year 2016 as the world's best performing stock market index over one-year and five-year periods, according to data available from Bloomberg. It has not only outperformed India's Sensex index but also the Morgan Stanley Emerging Markets index.

Source: Bloomberg

Pakistan's key index KSE-100 has rocketed up nearly 46% in 2016, far outpacing India's Sensex's 2.57% rise and MSCI emerging market's 8.42% increase. Similarly, over 5 year period, KSE-100 has soared 321% vs India's Sensex rise of 72% and Morgan Stanley emerging market index decline of 7.72%.

Source: Bloomberg

Pakistani stock market gains are driven by multiple factors. Dramatically improved security has brought investors and accelerated the nation's GDP growth. Adding to that is the optimism accompanying Morgan Stanley's decision to bring Pakistan back into its emerging market index that has spurred more buying by foreign index fund managers.

Source: South Asia Terrorism Portal

Other major indicators such as rising cement and energy consumption as well as growing sales of motorcycle and automobiles. A big driver of these improvements is the Chinese commitment of more than $50 billion to finance China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).

China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) is expected to add over 2 million direct and indirect jobs to Pakistan's economy and boost the country's GDP growth rate to 7.5%.  If all goes well and on schedule, of the 21 agreements on energy– including gas, coal and solar energy– 14 will be able to provide up to 10,400 megawatts (MW) of energy by March 2018. According to China Daily, these projects would provide up to 16,400 MW of energy altogether. In addition, there will be roads, rail tracks and oil and gas pipelines stretching thousands kilometers to connect Pakistan's Arabian sea ports to landlocked Western China.

After years of underinvestment and slow growth, Pakistan is finally seeing a lot of investment and development activity.  Pakistan's economic recovery is in full swing with double digit growth in multiple industries, including auto, pharma, chemicals, cement, fertilizers, minerals, etc.  It is expected to pick up steam over the next several years with new investments on the back of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor related projects. The challenges to sustain this growth ranging are many, among the biggest are continuous improvement in security, maintaining political stability and timely execution of projects.

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Comment by Riaz Haq on January 1, 2017 at 10:03am

Challenges for Pakistan economy:

http://www.pakistantoday.com.pk/2016/12/31/year-2016-ends-posing-ne...


The exports continued to shrink during the year, registering a decline of 8.8 per cent as compared to 3.9 per cent fall in fiscal 2015. Imports also contracted by 2.3 per cent primarily following the lower international oil and commodity prices. This resulted in widening trade deficit as a percentage of GDP from 6.3 per cent as compared to fiscal 2015 to 6.5 per cent in 2016.

Additionally, the higher repatriation of profits led to an increase in primary income deficit, which resulted in an overall current account deficit of $3.3 billion – about $0.6 billion higher than fiscal 2015.

The experts attributed Pakistan’s exports declined as weak global demand exacerbated the effects long-term decline in export competitiveness. Food and textiles are key contributors to Pakistan’s exports and continue to suffer from a decline in international prices and demand. Giving an example, the experts remarked that although Pakistan exported more rice in fiscal 2016 than in FY15, the value of rice exports fell due to a decline in international prices. The textiles sector, which accounted for 60 per cent of total

The exports, during fiscal 2016, saw a contraction of 5.6 per cent compared to fiscal 2015. “This decline was broad-based and affected both high and low-value textile exports”, the experts pointed out.

The only exceptions were knitwear and cotton carded, both of which grew due to higher global prices in these sub-categories. Although ‘Brexit’ has not yet affected exports, the EU accounts for 23.4 per cent of Pakistan’s exports and the UK 7.4 per cent, suggesting that potential future impacts could be significant.

Continuation of a long-term decline in Pakistan’s share of global trade witnessed in outgoing year, which has been driven by poor trade facilitation, infrastructure gaps, inefficient logistics and a poor investment climate. Pakistan has also lagged behind its competitors in trade openness, reducing its prospects of regaining momentum in export growth.

Accelerating progress in human development, including nutrition, remains a key challenge for sustained economic gains in Pakistan where public spending on education and health was one of the lowest in South Asia and allocations to nutrition were modest. Historically, nutrition — as well as early childhood education and development — have received little attention in Pakistan. The attention nutrition approach has been lacking cohesive planning and mainly funded by international donors and implemented by NGOs.

The year 2016 ended with the positive note for the government as it continued in making progress on fiscal consolidation, reducing the consolidated fiscal deficit from 5.3 per cent of GDP as compare to fiscal 2015 to 4.6 per cent in fiscal 2016. Revenue growth was underpinning the falling deficit, driven in outgoing year by a 20 per cent increase in the Federal Board of Revenue’s (FBR) collection. Some of this collection may, however, affect the progress of other reform efforts; the experts said adding that was in contrast with efforts to reduce Pakistan’s trade tariffs,

Increase in customs duties collection of 32.7 per cent has also been registered in 2016 as a result of FBR’s attempts to meet revenue targets. Similarly, the recently-introduced withholding tax on financial deposits may have driven customers to circumvent formal banking channels, as the currency deposit ratio has increased from 0.29 to 0.35 in just one year. A series of new tax measures in the fiscal 2017 budget will broaden the tax base and are expected to contribute to another significant increase in FBR revenues.

On the expenditure side, the development budget has grown faster than the recurrent budget. In the fiscal 2017 budget, an expected reduction in state-owned enterprise subsidies and interest payments has created space for an increase in infrastructure spending, including on CPEC projects.

Comment by Riaz Haq on January 1, 2017 at 10:08am

Fired up by improving economy,stocks seen skyrocketing in 2017

https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/175825-Fired-up-by-improving-econo...

Pakistani capital market, which struck it super rich in the outgoing year, is in for a stellar run in the year 2017 too, fueled by a turnaround in companies’ earnings growth, stabilizing oil prices, a steadily improving economy, and a firm job market.

“Pakistan Stock Exchange’s (PSX) KSE-100 Index recorded an impressive return of 45.7 percent, 45.6 percent in USD terms in 2016, compared to 2.1 percent and -2.0 percent in USD terms in 2015,” Khurram Schehzad at JS Global Capital said.

The benchmark index ended year 2016 at 47,806.97 points as compared to the closing of 32,816.31 points at the end of 2015, while average volumes swelled by 14 percent to reach 281 million shares a day in 2016.

“Strong performance of Pakistan equities in 2016 was mainly led by strong local cash liquidity thanks to falling interest rate and rising investor confidence. Economic recovery positively affected local demand for various sectors, rebound in oil prices, better security situation and exuberance on Pakistan’s reclassification in MSCI EM Index also helped,” Fahad Qasim at Topline Securities said analyzing the performance of PSX.

“Automobiles and cement remained top performing sectors in 2016 posting market cap gains of 73 percent and 66 percent, respectively. Index heavy weight oil & gas exploration sector (E&Ps) was up 52 percent whereas banks were up 33 percent. Fertilizer sector was down 5.0 percent due to weak fertilizer demand and high inventory levels.” With more liquidity expected to hit the market in 2017, Pakistani equities are expected to continue re-rating.

According to Mohammad Sohail, CEO Topline Securities, Pakistan’s market is expected to continue stay the course in 2017 on the back of tangible gains from China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) projects and rising domestic demand leading to higher economic growth prospects.

“This coupled with liquidity (with local investors) are likely to set the stage for further gains in 2017,” said he. The market capitalization, presently hovering around $90 billion, is expected to cross $100 billion mark in the upcoming year.

Analysts expect benchmark index to rise to 56,000 points by December 2017 generating 20-25 percent returns.

On the other hand, the companies’ profit is expected to hike by an average 20 percent in 2017, compared to an increase of 1.0 percent in 2016, due to a rebound in prices, higher production and sales of oil; bottoming out of interest rates, fertilizer, autos and increased investment in energy sector.

Muzammil Aslam of Invest & Finance Securities (IFSL), says Pakistan Stocks Exchange (PSX) is set to outweigh peers, as well as other asset classes. “In short, reclassification to the Emerging Market index is the X-factor for PSX, since the market still trades at a swift discount of 11 percent to the MSCI FM Index and 23 percent to MSCI EM Index, hefty foreign inflows are on cards; which in the environment of persistent foreign selling would be an additional support for the bourse,” said he.

Aslam added IFSL expects the discount to narrow down owing to uptick in economic numbers, improved law and order situation together with better operating environment, and sector-specific positives. 

Comment by Riaz Haq on January 1, 2017 at 10:47am

South Asia Terrorism Portal (SATP) data on terrorism in Sindh:

Total Terror Deaths in Sindh:

254 in 2016, down from 607 in 2015, 1141 in 2014, 1625 in 2013


Bomb Blasts in Sindh:


12 in 2016, down from 19 in 2015, 62 in 2014, 97 in 2013

Suicide Bombings:

zero in 2016 down from 26 in 2015, 28 in 2014 and 16 in 2013


Sectarian Deaths in Sindh:

25 in 2016, down from 164 in 2015, 86 in 2014 and 122 in 2013.


http://www.satp.org/satporgtp/countries/pakistan/sindh/datasheet/da...

Comment by Riaz Haq on January 1, 2017 at 10:54am

Just three years ago, according to the Numbeo international crime index, Karachi was the sixth most dangerous city in the world. Today it stands at number 31 — and falling.

http://www.spectator.co.uk/2016/12/pakistan-is-winning-its-war-on-t...


https://www.numbeo.com/crime/rankings.jsp?title=2016-mid

Comment by Riaz Haq on January 7, 2017 at 8:29am

2017 on the Frontier: #Pakistan, #Bangladesh Top Picks For Big Stock Gains http://www.barrons.com/articles/2017-on-the-frontier-pakistan-bangl... … via @barronsonline

In developing-market investing, the cool kids are “emerging” and the wannabes are “frontier.”

The indexers at MSCI decide who’s cool and who’s not after analyzing a market’s liquidity and openness to foreign investment, among other factors. Where a country is placed can make or break local markets—and the exchange-traded funds that track them. Last year, Pakistan was a big winner, with a 33% gain after MSCI said the country would graduate from frontier to emerging in 2017. Nigeria, which MSCI said could fall out of frontier market status completely in 2017, slipped 39%, with currency devaluation crushing returns.

Pakistan’s sharp gains helped the MSCI Frontier index produce a barely positive total return of 3% in 2016, much less than the return of the iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ETF (ticker: EEM), which was up 11%.

Because of frontier markets’ volatility and disparate membership, index funds usually aren’t the best way to play them. While there are 23 frontier countries, the iShares MSCI Frontier 100 ETF (FM) is dominated by Kuwait, (21% of holdings), followed by Argentina (16%), Pakistan (12%), and Vietnam (8%). Africa is underrepresented. Making index investing less appealing is the wide-ranging performance of individual stocks.

EXPERIENCED STOCKPICKERS are the best alternative for fund investors seeking undiscovered values and portfolio diversification in these markets. We spoke with some active frontier market investors to get their ideas for the new year. With its coming ascension to emerging market status, Pakistan remains a favorite, because China is investing in its transportation infrastructure. Another choice: Bangladesh, where millions of rural poor are expected to inch toward the middle class. Vietnam remains attractive but looks more vulnerable than others, given recent volatility and geopolitics.

The Chicago-based managers of the Driehaus Frontier Emerging Markets fund (DRFRX), which rose 9% in 2016, attribute their outperformance to avoiding energy names and some traditional banks that had lending problems. They took some profits in Vietnam and favor mobile-banking plays elsewhere. Two 2017 picks: telecom Safaricom (SCOM.Kenya) and BRAC Bank (BRAC.Bangladesh). Each has a burgeoning mobile financial platform that could produce 25% compounded annual earnings growth. And while each stock has jumped, growth rates give the stocks more room to run, says Chad Cleaver, a co-manager of the Driehaus fund.


Asha Mehta, who focuses on emerging and frontier markets at Acadian Asset Management in Boston, is a fan of infrastructure plays in Pakistan and Vietnam. One is Hoa Phat Group (HPG.Vietnam), among the country’s largest steel producers, with a market value of $1.6 billion. Despite improving sales and increased market share, its trailing price/earnings ratio is low at roughly seven times. She expects Vietnam, as well as Argentina and Romania, to eventually make their way to emerging markets, which, as investors in Pakistan discovered, can provide a nice boost for portfolios. Mehta believes Argentina could make the jump as soon as May.

Of course, risks abound. But even a U.S. trade war with China could end up bolstering frontier markets that benefit from Chinese investment.

Comment by Riaz Haq on January 16, 2017 at 8:15am

India 60th in inclusive development index; ranks below China, Pakistan

http://indianexpress.com/article/india/india-60th-in-inclusive-deve...


India has been ranked 60th among 79 developing economies, below neighbouring China and Pakistan, in the inclusive development index, according to a WEF report. WEF’s ‘Inclusive Growth and Development Report 2017’, released today, said that most countries are missing important opportunities to raise economic growth and reduce inequality at the same time because the growth model and measurement tools that have guided policymakers for decades require significant readjustment.

Lithuania tops the list of 79 developing economies that also features Azerbaijan and Hungary at second and third positions, respectively. While India is placed at the 60th spot, many of the neighbouring nations are ahead in the rankings. China is ranked at the 15th position, Nepal (27th), Bangladesh (36th) and Pakistan (52nd).

The Inclusive Development Index (IDI) is based on 12 performance indicators. In order to provide a more complete measure of economic development than GDP growth alone, the index has three pillars — Growth and Development, Inclusion and Intergenerational Equity, and Sustainability.

http://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_Forum_IncGrwth_2017.pdf

Comment by Riaz Haq on January 18, 2017 at 8:05am

All shares available/float in #India are worth roughly the same as total capitalization of #Nestlé http://econ.st/1dah7C1 via @TheEconomist

Investors love the promise of high returns from emerging-market equities, but there are not many of them to buy. Especially if you exclude stakes held by governments, the market capitalisation of bourses beyond the rich world is tiny. Just how tiny is apparent from the map below: in many emerging markets, the value of all the freely traded shares of firms that feature in the local MSCI share index (which typically tracks 85% of local listings) is equivalent to a single Western firm. Thus all the shares available in India are worth roughly the same as Nestlé; Egypt’s are equal to Burger King. This suggests that emerging economies need deeper, more liquid markets-and investors need more perspective.

Comment by Riaz Haq on January 20, 2017 at 10:48am

After #China investment, #Pakistan's bourse #PSX bets on #derivatives, #ETFs, new fincial products http://reut.rs/2j1c4Sm via @ReutersIndia

Pakistan's soaring stock exchange will introduce derivatives trading from the middle of 2017, the bourse's managing director said, announcing the move weeks after a Chinese-led consortium took a strategic stake.

Nadeem Naqvi, managing director of Pakistan Stock Exchange told Reuters the introduction of derivatives, as well as plans for listing of infrastructure bonds, were part of efforts to boost liquidity in the market and lure foreign investors.

The PSX saw its benchmark index soar 60 percent over the past year, making it one of world's top performing indexes.


In December, a Chinese-led consortium, made up of China Financial Futures Exchange, Shanghai Stock Exchange, Shenzhen Stock Exchange and two other firms, took a 40 percent stake in the business.

"Cash settled futures, single stock options, we are on target to launch this year, just after mid-year," Naqvi said on Thursday.

On Friday, a delegation from the Chinese-led consortium formally signed documents for the takeover of PSX with Pakistan's Finance Minister Ishaq Dar, who said the Chinese bourses could help develop the latest technology and trading systems.

Naqvi said the market regulator, Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP), was "fine tuning" regulations on derivatives and was also analysing draft regulation on exchange traded funds (ETFs).

Pakistan's economy has rebounded in recent years, with improving security across the country fuelling economic growth.

Sentiment was further buoyed by China's plans to invest $57 billion in a network of roads, railways and energy infrastructure across Pakistan.

Pakistan was the world's fifth highest-returning stock market in 2016, but the growth was driven by local investors, with the bourse eager to attract more foreign inflows.

According to Naqvi, foreign institutional portfolio managers hold about a third of all freely tradable shares, while another third is held by domestic institutions, pensions and institutional companies.

The remainder is held by Pakistani retail investors.

The market capitalisation of the PSX is around $90 billion, although only about a quarter of that is freely tradable.

BOOSTING LIQUIDITY

Pakistan's bourse was boosted last year when the country's stock market was reclassified to be included in the MSCI's emerging market index category.

Naqvi said MSCI's announcement helped boost liquidity.

In December, the average daily value of trades stood at about $200 million, doubling from December 2015, but some way below pre-2008 crisis levels, when daily trades reached $400-$500 million.

Pakistan was dropped from the MSCI Emerging Markets Index when it imposed a floor on the market during the financial crisis in 2008, effectively trapping local and foreign investors for several months.

Comment by Riaz Haq on January 24, 2017 at 9:03pm

#Pakistan stocks hit record high. #PSX's #KSE100 crosses 50,000. Up 61% in 12 months | Bangkok Post: business http://www.bangkokpost.com/business/world/1185921/pakistan-stocks-h...

Pakistan's benchmark index briefly touched a record high level of 50,050.19 on Tuesday, before edging down, underpinned by buying in the cement sector.

The Pakistan Stock Exchange's benchmark 100-share index touched the key level soon after the market opened for trading on Tuesday.

"It is a technical market correction; market may hover close to 50,000 level and may cross the fifty thousand mark in current or next session," Fawad Khan, head of research at KASB Securities Private Ltd, told Reuters.

"The index performance shows the local investors' confidence in the market."

A delegation from a Chinese-led consortium, made up of China Financial Futures Exchange, Shanghai Stock Exchange, Shenzhen Stock Exchange and two other firms, formally signed documents on Friday to buy a 40 percent stake in the Pakistan Stock Exchange. The deal was made public in December last year.

The benchmark index soared 61% over the last 12 months, making it one of the world's top performing indices.

Comment by Riaz Haq on April 5, 2017 at 8:01am

#Pakistan equities bouyant ahead of index reclassification- Nikkei Asian Review. #PSX #Karachi #MSCI #EmergingMarket

http://asia.nikkei.com/Politics-Economy/Economy/Pakistan-equities-b...


Analysts say banking, construction stocks to benefit from inward investment

The Stock Exchange of Pakistan emerged as Asia's best performing equity market and the fifth best in the world in 2016 by providing a total return of 45.7%. The market then peaked at 50,192.4 points on Jan. 26, falling back slightly in February and March, but analysts see more upside ahead of Pakistan's graduation to the MSCI Emerging Markets Index.

The stellar performance of the benchmark KSE 100 Index in the last year has been largely attributed to index compiler MSCI's decision last June to move the country to its EM Index from its Frontier Markets Index. The index stood at 36,979.96 at the time of MSCI's announcement.

By April 4, the index of 100 blue chips was at 48,088.37. With the shift to the EM Index expected to happen in May, the KSE 100 is expected to extend its gains.

Pakistan will be represented in the EM Index by two large capitalization stocks and five mid-caps, with a weighting of 0.16%. In addition, 19 small cap companies will become part of the EM Small Cap Index.


MSCI had earlier listed nine Pakistani companies for possible inclusion in the EM Index, including Hub Power and Pakistan State Oil, but those two are now slated to join the small cap index following a review in November. Shahbaz Ashraf, head of research at Karachi brokerage Arif Habib, said the stocks may have been downgraded because of low trading volumes.

As of November, Pakistan's weighting in the Frontier Markets Index stood at 9.63%, with 16 constituents: Engro, Fatima Fertilizer, Fauji Fertilizer, Habib Bank, Hub Power, Indus Motor, K-Electric, Lucky Cement, MCB Bank, National Bank, Oil and Gas Development, Pakistan Oilfields, Pakistan Petroleum, Pakistan State Oil, Pakistan Telecommunication and United Bank.

Pakistan has been drawing growing interest from foreign investors. According to the government, inward foreign investment between July 2016 and February 2017 totaled $1.284 billion, surpassing the total of $1.281 billion in the fiscal year to June 2016. By sector, the largest portion of investment went into power, followed by construction, then oil and gas. The Pakistan Board of Investment estimates that foreign investment this fiscal year could reach $3 billion to $5 billion.

"Strong liquidity and increased investor confidence has led to increased domestic market penetration," said Mohammad Bin Shahid, portfolio manager at UBL Fund Managers, referring to foreign investment in stocks.

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